Why lime green is the new gold

Wonder why, of late, your margarita is being served sans lime? Or how Fed Ex could have failed so miserably with its holiday deliveries? Or what the latest mobile app is? The answers may surprise you. This week, we’ll skim through business headlines to catch up on a few emerging trends, cost hikes, and new product offerings.

Lime shortage
The cost of limes has gone up dramatically lately because producers in Mexico have faced severe drought and crop disease – and now have to hire armed guards for fruit transport, since black market prices make the crops appealing to the Mexican drug cartel and hijackers. In the U.S., according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, that’s caused a single lime to climb from 21 cents in 2013 to 53 cents in 2014.

Inflated copper
Need copper plumbing? Think again, since (as of this writing) copper scrap is now at an all-time high of about $4.60/pound. Emerging Chinese infrastructure is creating giant demand while Chili, a major supplier, upset the supply chain. Meanwhile, as the U.S. dollar value deflates, copper values inflate, and there is speculation that some mysterious entity may be trying to corner the market. High suspense! Experts explain that adding that to Wall Street’s frenetic consumption of copper results in spiking prices.

Setting the record straightFed-Ex isn’t naming names, but it is laying part of the blame for its holiday delivery fiasco on major online retailers. CEO Fred Smith said a few major retailers said they shipped products earlier than they actually did, and/or improperly addressed packages or misapplied labels. The shipping giant wants to set the record straight, and it’s now taking a firmer stance with customers’ sloppy shipping practices.

Application for change
Tired of fumbling for vending machine or parking meter change? PayRange developed a key-sized, wireless device that can be put in a variety of vending applications to accept mobile phone payments via Bluetooth technology. The product, launched this March, will rely on customers to download the app and pre-load it with funds. Expect success: the founder is Paresh Patel, VendScreen’s cofounder, who already has a significant tech portfolio.

Let me take a selfie
Need help matching shoes to your outfit? Zappos Labs is offering fashion help to Instagram users who tag their selfies #OOTD. The “outfit of the day” hashtag offers photo posters a personalized recommendation for footwear to go with the outfit shown on their selfie. During the testing phase, all requests are being matched by one person with (hopefully) extraordinary fashion sense.

Click and mortarAce Hardware is releasing a mobile app that not only will allow customers to browse product lines, but also provide how-to tips for products scanned on the shelves. Users can add their own to-do lists, and benefit then from linked circular sales announcements and customer reviews. The idea behind going mobile is to drive shoppers from cyberspace into brick-and-mortar stores.

I believe you have my stapler
Moving beyond “trend” and into “phenomenon”. Coworking spaces have become a hot commodity in larger cities all over the world. Not always an incubator or necessarily a start-up space, this coop working model rents desks and office space backed by the usual amenities, including copiers, lobbies, conference areas, and Wi-Fi. Many offer workshops and networking events as well. Some offer intranet and web profiles and marketing help. Prices vary from hourly desk rentals to day rates to private offices or desk clusters at a monthly or yearly rate. Some will trade space for services to provide free legal services, etc., to other members. Some are reluctant to offer space with storage due to increased demand by members, who expect not to have to wait for a vacant spot when they need to work.

Keeping secrets
Shhh. It’s a secret. Or at least, the exact nature of the work being done by Vicarious is hush hush. However, the firm must have revealed some pretty intriguing hints to get Mark Zuckerberg and Ashton Kutcher to invest part of the $40 million recently raised for start-up capital. Hint: think “artificial intelligence” – the company intends to replicate the capabilities of the human neocortex, reports the WSJ.
What’s on the horizon? Stay tuned!

About Jody Glynn Patrick

Jody is President of Glynn Patrick & Associates, which provides management consulting, executive coaching and strategic planning services. She is Publisher Emeritus of In Business magazine, which she published for 17 years. Selected as the “U.S. Business Journalist of the Year” in 2007 in Washington, DC, by the U.S. Small Business Administration, Jody has been a business reporter, editor, radio talk show host , and has won other state and national journalism awards. At the same time, she has helped corporate clients grow their businesses -- the basis for her practical coaching advice here. She also was the 2005 Athena Award recipient for her leadership role in mentoring other professional women. Jody will be talking with you weekly on TDS’ blog to share her insights and tips from the C-Suite perspective. Follow on G+.

Connect:

Stay connected with TDS Business for the latest news.

About TDS Business

TDS Telecom. is the 7th largest telecom provider in the U.S., and our parent company is Telephone and Data Systems Inc. Of course, we have a few cool sister companies too, like U.S. Cellular and OneNeck® IT Solutions. Bottom-line: At TDS it’s our job to connect people at home and at work. We connect people nationwide, in rural communities and metro areas alike. We connect people running big businesses, start-ups, and even at- home teleworkers with Internet, phone, data, and TV services.